Muses.Music.

Feels bittersweet folks. I am ambivalent about Lebron going to the now NBA Superpower Miami Heat, and for several reasons. Sure my team (as well as the other 29 teams not located in South Beach) are going to have a lot harder time winning games for a while. Nonetheless, I will try to look at the situation as objectively as possible, from somewhere between a Cleveland and a Miami State of Mind…

Let’s face it – if he wanted to be known as the best player ever, he should have stayed in Cleveland. The reality is that, playing alongside two other elite players his skills will not improve, that is almost a guarantee. His leadership abilities as well as his legacy are all going to decline. Playing with a safety net [Wade and Bosh] is going to allow his weaknesses and bad habits to hide behind by his superstar counterparts. Sometimes the pressure of having to show up and give 110% every single night is a good thing, especially on the post season road to a championship.

Technically, statistics-wise, he may actually get the fabled season triple double average playing for Miami. Honestly, I actually wouldn’t be all that surprised, assuming he stays healthy, if he works his stats up over the next five years to a triple double career average in Miami, but that’s another story.

Listening to his explanation, the biggest mistake Lebron made was stating “It doesn’t matter how you win a championship, as long as you win a championship” in response to the question “Can you be as happy winning a championship in Miami as you would be in Cleveland? [sic]” He is going to be in for a shock and surprise because resurrecting and leading a once struggling team to a championship versus ‘coming along for the ride’ are two VERY different feelings. His is the same logic that almost ruined a few other sports. These days too many athletes are all too willing to do “whatever it takes” to achieve their goals even if that means taking Performance Enhancing Drugs. I don’t think that is what he meant but I am trying to show that the “whatever it takes” logic can be faulty.

One; just one championship in Cleveland would mean the world to Lebron’s brand. Cleveland has nothing to measure up to, there is no shadow to come out of just one would have been enough, for everyone. He was born, bred, and raised in that market, bringing the gold home is a heroic journey, and would be a better reward then winning anywhere else. I don’t know if there are any title-winning, MVPs that are native of the place where they played and won. It means more to make something out of nothing, it is almost messianic: “the little kid watching the NBA all his life in a winless town a product of hopelessness grows into a powerful man and pulls the proverbial sword from the stone”. That’s something every kid in every playground can relate too, that is how you inspire the next generation and leave a mark. That is special that is priceless.

With that said I can’t wait to see the highlights and the NBA next year and I hope the Heat really go on a 90’s Chicago Bulls like tear, better yet, winning 4 championships in a row or maybe more. The rest of the league won’t sit back for too long though and this is where the backlash might be a problem in the NBA. There is just not enough talent for too many more “Big Threes” to happen. Smaller market struggling franchises may go out of business in the long run unable to compete with the NBA version of a Cold War Nuclear Rings Race. Also, there are rumors of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement next year which could make it easier for high profile teams to sign multiple superstars and still remain profitable.

Lastly, I am in favor of the move away from ego-driven sports divas and more of a team oriented spirit of the game. This is actually why Lebron is not a coward despite what others may think (I see you Cleveland). He may have the wrong idea but it is the thought that counts. Like many in my generation facing the disillusionment of attaining our parent’s version of the “American Dream” Lebron is choosing to take a sizable pay cut, share the spotlight and take the road less traveled to find happiness. That idea of sacrificing for “the greater good” I believe is something the guys on Wall Street as well as ‘oil rig with everything on it but hold the safety valve” BP could learn a thing or two from.

-Muses

Nope.
No one was doing anything. Instead, everyone was standing around just watching. A bunch of on lookers looking like they were watching a Hollywood movie scene being shot on location, which to be fair it really did look like it was. Couple people even pulled out their cameras just hoping to catch some action and make money from the tape. He took a look around and then hunched over and put his briefcase down against the side of the Pet Supply store. On the way up catching his shallow translucent reflection in the store window the tail wagging puppy in the background, he paused. The reflection seemed to disapprove of what it knew he was thinking of doing. Frozen in deep thought halfway crouched over the briefcase and with his head tilted to the side scenario after scenario materialized and disappeared in his mind as he thought. Nah. No. This is crazy you aren’t going to do it. Are you?
His eyes shifted back down to his briefcase handle and the latches on either side of the handle. He picked his eyes back up again and looked at the brown dog in the window yapping at him cheerfully; was it motivating or mocking him? And then he saw the scar under his eye that ruined his classical gentleman look and his quantum leaped back into time. He got the 3 centimeter scar in his last year of grade school by jumping in a fight to help a younger kid, which he barely knew existed. Not only did he get scarred from the brawl but those bullies would have it out for him pretty much everyday after that. Then he thought of how that scar made him look unprofessional and possibly changed his life. Time’s up, he turned his head back to the ground and began to bend back down.

He picked up his briefcase but didn’t continue to his car, instead he ran across the street towards the bank getting robbed, the song stuck in the back of his head all day suddenly seemed turned up in his head to deafening volumes he found himself needing to shout to hear himself think!

“Basical-ly I’m complicat-ed….I have a hard time taking… the easy way…

Flashes of his life came to him all of a sudden it was more like he was somewhere watching the whole thing on camera from a large screen that took up most of his view.

“I Wouldn’t cal-l it schiz-ophren-ic …”

He effortlessly made his way across the busy street, the people were on their cell phones which means the police could have been called and would arrive there soon, but you never know if they are bragging to their friends or calling for help.
Flash.
The look of pain on his wife’s face when he got fired for refusing to comply to company policy and cancel health insurance policies when people became too sick, despite a long history of good standing with the company.
Flash. There was a black Infiniti parked outside the bank motor still running doors open, he kept his eyes on the front door of the bank as he ran to the driver’s side.

“But I’ll be at least a two people today….if that’s okay”

Flash.
(To Be Continued)

Day #4:
Today went ok. Actually did my writing later in the day but when I timed it this time I stopped at 2 hours and had 2379 words which is a little under 20wpm! Had some good stuff to write about too so it wasn’t so painful. I am still on same arc as before and I fear writing the dreaded episodic “* * *” book. Anyways tomorrow hopefully it is a breeze and I come up with more exciting stuff to write about so far so good seriously I am loving it!
-Muses

Day #5:
Up to a little below the 25% mark today which is great . I kept the story moving still from the last arc, which is also amazing because I am still in the early stages and about 25% in Also puts me on schedule to hypothetically wrap up the first act in the next two days. I am somewhat more methodic with the storyline now, which is a foreshadow of the future because as the story develops not only do you need to almost double the creative input because you are also trying to cooperate with the past writing. However, I am not throwing away any ideas right now and have a separate file for discarded or unused and incomplete versions of the arc and in the event I need to find some instant inspiration I will have a potential source. Went a bit over 2 hours but as I mentioned I would not be surprised if I am typing for 4-5 hours as the story winds down more and more, but a good idea lends it’s own energy…
-Muses

p.s. I have been looking at some other story lines for inspiration and that has gotten me in a good mental space for work.

I know what you are saying ‘WTH/what the hell is  NaNoWriMo ’09?’ The reason I know this is because I asked the same thing when I first heard of it from this guy called Future1 on a “eclectic” website called BGOL. It mean November National Writing Month is a month long challenge to write a 50,000 word novel (novelette technically) in 30 days that is the month of November. At this time I am representing several Regions: Washington D.C., Boston, The Caribbean and Milwaukee. I like my chances and I did a rough outline yesterday and need to do a lot more thinking before this will be a cake walk, but I have a great strategy and I should be able to finish the contest and edit and hopefully have something worthy of alien eyes by the second quarter next year! I am trying to get one of the areas to put up a Facebook or twitter and that way we can annoy an even greater number of people we have very weak bonds to begin with all November! If that doesn’t work I am considering making this a journal or sorts with short blurbs but posting here daily to someone this spoiled is actually frightening. I like making quality looking blog entries so it would be tough to scramble a few words together – on second thoughts maybe not. Anyways, my story is futuristic, sci-fi – for now and I did 3 1/8ths pages which was shockingly 2,223 words which would have me done with a week to spare even if I don’t do more as we go along. This is something i look forward to every year, next year I think I will try to get sponsers and make a saleable book for charity or something.

Peace
-M.M.

Welcome to the War Room

“Did we get that damned logarithm decrypted yet?!” a plain clothed black-ops high ranking military commander frustratingly yelled. However, amidst the sea of hundreds of clicking keyboards, faxes, video conferences, and other panicked conversations he was quickly drowned out.
An almost reluctant “…algorithm!” was heard above the wave of the madness flooding the room.
“Whaaaat?!” NC12, the black ops commander (named such simply because he was the 12th of his kind from North Carolina) spun around so quickly it seemed as though his body snapped. Something like one of those jumbo black metal paper clips after being pulled so far back one would think it could break but they don’t, with this focused violence NC12’s body snapped in the direction of the reluctant ‘algorithm’.
His stare meeting a woman at the end of that violent snap, and penetrated her so furiously that it could would be deemed manslaughter in some non-southern states. She only gritted her teeth and squinted her eyes, supremely insulted and assaulted all in unison. This fraction of a second delay caused by her grimace seemed to only heighten Commander NC12’s high ranking killer instinct. Deliberately shifting his weight in the direction of NV78, one of generals that flanked him NC12 scowled “What did she just say?”
NV78, himself being a very neurotic man, found that he was surreally caught in the position of being between the general’s protruding fangs and the beautiful woman’s pleading glare. He replied as sheepishly as a general could reply, without breaking eye contact with the now petrified female colonel, posing to NC12
“Algorithm, I think that’s what she said”
The words caused the woman’s brows to begin to form a light yet visible dew, yet she swallowed and defended her action. “Um, you said logarithm, but what we are cracking is an algorithm… sir”
With that the absolutely most hostile sarcasm ever seen seemed to ooze out of the General’s pores like a Bizzaro World pheromone. “I’m sorry -” those words gingerly danced out of his smiling mouth, in that tone that all but the mentally challenged and ESL students already know will be followed by a very visceral biting barrage of insults. “I don’t see a fresh commanding expletive to expletive here Colonel expletive, so you won’t be getting anymore affirmative action promotions with your smart ass ‘feeeed-back’” The word feedback snaked it’s way into the air like a waft of smoke.
This shook the thirty-nine year old new grandmother and off-duty wife and foreign intelligence special-ops cold blooded killer now at the hilt of the notorious glass ceiling right to the core. She, who will remain unnamed, had encountered sexism all 25 years in the service but never this bad. And even in this heightened state of emergency and tension the rancid rant stung enough that her eyes got a little shiny, but due to her training it was hard to tell if she was longing for murder or mercy.
NC12, didn’t seem to notice though and he finished catching his breath and continued, “What the hell are you still standing in my war room for expletive?! I swear to all that is Holy is if you don’t turn around and hop into that God forsaken ugly economy car of yours and drive till you Thelma and Louise off into the Potomac right now I’ll rip those expletive off you and use them as earmuffs you stupid fu-“ A giant crash shook the control room sending everyone into the next level of hyper panic. By the time a feed had come on the jumbo-tron sized screen the woman colonel already lost herself in the madness of the room.

“Attention all personnel classified information up-linked in 3, 2, …”

The familiar image of the President in oval office came on the screen. The President spoke, “I would like to share the latest intelligence we have received from our top level classified source in this crisis… We have without doubt confirmed that it is the Plants whom are indeed attacking our World; and those same sources tell us that they plan to eradicate the modern world civilization when we do comply ….and will kill all animal life if we don’t – ” Just then a voice off camera spoke.
“No I’ve told you that the plants will not kill WILD animals” The President’s eyes quickly shifted in the direction of the voice and returned to the camera where they smiled nervously. By now the control room was deathly silent but for a very few people too wrapped up in their duties to realize exactly who was on the big screen. “You have to tell,” the voice seemed so husky it was almost a gargle. “The damn Plants ordered full disclosure” Through the aside the smiling President continued hoping that the voice was not heard.
Through his lapel mic NC12 addressed the President. “Listen here Bobby” People still dared not breathe. “We have coordinates to the main Plant’s roots; it is around 30 meters beneath the Pacific Ocean’s floor. Now, we can send a nuke in a sub…mar…ee…” NC12’s voice dropped off as what all confirmed to themselves as the president’s Dog was seen hop onto the desk and motioned to the president with its paw. The President smiling even bigger out of embarrassment smoothly took his mic off and put it to the dog’s jaw and then the dog formally cut NC12 trailing “submarine” off the rest of the way.
“That is by far the dumbest thing that I have ever heard. You there, I believe NV78; please remove this jackass’ mic. Though we have no time, I will not go on until that jackass cannot communicate on this line” While NC12’s jaw was still dropped, NV78 pulled his mic off and the president’s Dog continued. “Okay, I don’t have all day, rather we don’t have all day. So let’s address the elephant in the room shall we? And no, I don’t mean NC12”
The dog paused, but there was only silence, a few people cleared their throats. “As you can see; Yes, I can talk, in fact we all can talk, plants, animals, everything that moves talks. According to our ancient history when our ancestors discovered you simple minded hairless apes thought you were the only ones who knew how to talk; they decided to let you go along thinking you were the only intelligence here. Since humans are just so stupid and oblivious to everything around them the ancients figured ‘what harm could some naked apes do?’ and let you tend to the planet for us.
“We were ready to let you keep going till you did something worthwhile like build an artificial planet to travel galaxy to galaxy in, but you idiots just couldn’t stop destroying the planet. The President shook his head in disapproval, as the Dog continued. “And the Plants who have been here the longest, they were also already really edgy because most of them never get to stretch; finally had enough and sent their roots down to the Earth’s core and hijacked it.
“From the core, they have control of the entire planet manipulating anything and everything in the ecosystem from tornadoes to the shape of the clouds. We would have let you guys all die out like we did when the Reptiles were in your place, but the Plants they seem to especially hate you. Which I must say is saying a lot because, they didn’t even seem to hate the Reptiles this much and from what I understand Reptiles are really despicable douche bag type life forms and smelly too.
Anywho, now they are going to kill us domesticated animals too, which is why I am here” The President, still holding the mic and now in the slightly unfocused camera background just kept smiling as much as he could; nodding and raising his eyebrows, when appropriate, as to pretend he was still in control. But everyone knew the Dog was the one now running the show at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
“So this is what is going to happen based on our intelligence, you, I mean we are going to have to get out of all the cities and take what ever we can walk with and go back into “nature”. The Plants will then send lightning to scorch and burn, then floods and wind to wash and blow away the remains cities of the Earth. And if they have warned that if they see so much as one light bulb for the next hundred years they will kill all of mankind and domesticated animals with a rare water or air borne disease using the power of the Earth’s core.
”Oh and lastly an FYI: Nukes will not work; the Plants are all tapped into the air and the water. So thanks to you we are all going to start back at square one and the planet is going back to Ice Age technology” The room was utterly devastated, the Dog on the screen then let out a loud yawn and shook his himself out nose to tail, despite his temper and insults he looked as tired as the rest of them.
At the climax of this too strange for fiction moment a mid-ranking uniformed intelligence officer jumped off his video conference call and rushed over to NC12 picking up a document in the printer on the way “Sir! We finally got word back from the Balkans. Here is the cracked… logarithm” But NC12, didn’t even pick his jaw up.
“….It’s algorithm, you jackass”

Growing Earth Theory Based on the possibility this could hold water (no pun intended): The earth used to be much smaller and thus the gravitational pull much weaker, so thus you have giant beings and lighter stones. So you’d have largely disproportional force because the being is many times stronger and the objects are that much lighter.

Man Made Monolith That Man Can't Make Anymore !

For example not the actual calculations) any healthy man here can lift 100lbs, and on the moon he could theoretically, just based off gravity, lift a 600lb object just as easily. BUT it doesn’t stop there because if you grew up on the moon you’d be much larger and much stronger than you are now so lifting an object in excess of 2000lbs would be rare but not unheard of. Several people could lift a modern house right off it’s foundation. The problem with advanced tech theory is that there is no logic in using that kind of machinery which is metallic to build something in stone. That would be like only using anti-gravity to go sight seeing or something.

Ancient Gigantic Cut Stone Structure